Ida Rosenthal

(1886 - 1973)

Ida Rosenthal and her husband, William, exemplify the
"rags to riches" success of many Americans. Two Russian immigrants coming to America penniless and
becoming multi-millionaires.

Ida Rosenthal, nee Cohen, was born on January 9, 1886, near
Minsk, Russia. Her father
was a Hebrew scholar and her mother worked hard in running a small general
store. When she was nineteen, she immigrated to America to follow her
boyfriend, William Rosenthal, who had left a few months earlier. After
arriving, they were married in 1907.

She was a dressmaker and they decided to form their own business.
She handled sales and financial matters and he oversaw the design and
tailoring. They were never satisfied the way a dress fitted around the
bosom. In the twenties, women wore a towel like brassiere with hooks
in the back which didn't flatter their appearance. The Rosenthals felt
that a woman paying a minimum of a $125 for a custom dress should
have it fit well around the bosom.

They designed a little bra with two pockets which produced a
better fit. They developed the cups by rounding them and making them
come to a point. Women were better fitted and their clothing became
more stylish. Maidenform Brassieres became a success with Ida playing
a very active role in its production and development. In 1928, they
gave up the dressmaking business and concentrated only on brassieres.
Later, they introduced women's lingerie and swimsuits.

They aggressively advertised their products in the newspapers,
magazines, radio and television. It was in 1949 that a New York advertising agency came up with the slogan, "I dreamed that I went shop-
ping in my Maidenform bra." This slogan was an instant success and
lasted for over twenty years.

During World War II they had no problem receiving all the material they needed for their
products. Studies showed that working women wearing bras were less fatigued
than those who didn't.

The Maidenform Company started with 10 employees and now has
over 5,000. Ida Rosenthal was part of an industrial team that visited the
Soviet Union in 1963. She saw a potential market in the Soviet women.
"The Soviet woman," she said, "is badly in need help when it comes
to foundations. I believe we'll eventually have them for customers."

When her husband died in 1958, Ida Rosenthal became the chief
executive officer of the company. She moved from her large estate on
Long Island to a small apartment in the lower part of Fifth Avenue.
She went to her office every day until she died on March 29, 1973, at
the age of 87.

She served on the board of directors of the Bronx Lebanon Medical
Center for many years. She and her husband established the Ida and
William Rosenthal Fellowship in Judaica and Hebraic at New York
University. They also gave them many of the materials on display.

They donated Camp Lewis in Sussex County, New Jersey, to the
Boy Scouts of America in memory of their son. Lewis, who died while
a student at Columbia University. Ida Rosenthal left material and
monetary donations to many Jewish institutions.

Ida Rosenthal will always be an inspiration and model for Jewish
women wanting to be owners or executives in business. Ida Rosenthal
showed them that it can be done if you work hard at it.